Pharmacy technician

You would prepare and supply prescription medicine to treat people’s illnesses and health conditions.

You could be based in a community, hospital pharmacy or primary care (for example, GP practices or care homes). You’d work under the supervision of a qualified pharmacist.

You would:

• select the correct items to make up a prescription

• weigh out ingredients, measure liquids and count out tablets

• put together ointment mixtures, and medicines

• make sure prescriptions are legal and accurate

• create labels which give information about the medicines and how to use them

• order new stock using computerised systems

If you work in a hospital pharmacy you might be responsible for making up medicines for patients who are having cancer treatment. These need to be made in special sterile conditions to avoid contamination. It is especially important in these cases to be as accurate and methodical as possible.

You would also be responsible for making sure that each department in the hospital has the right amount of medicine in stock. With experience, you could specialise in a particular area such as quality control, clinical trials or medicines information services.

If you work in a community pharmacy, you would talk with customers to:

• advise them about prescription medicines and over-the-counter products

• advise about healthy living

• explain how to deal with minor illness

Some pharmacy technicians also provide a stop smoking service.

You’d need to be able to explain things clearly. People may be embarrassed about their health conditions so you’d need to have tact and discretion.

You would refer them to a pharmacist or healthcare professional when necessary.

You can see more about this role in the National Health Service on the pharmacy technician page on the NHS Scotland Careers website.

• General Pharmaceutical Council – Advice for students about training from the regulatory body for the profession

• NHS Careers – About working as a pharmacy technician for the National Health Service

• Association of Pharmacy Technicians UK

• NHS Education for Scotland – Training for the healthcare workforce including higher education and professional development